1.) CBD Displays Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Inflammation hinders the body’s recovery process by leading to an excess of stress hormones like cortisol which have beneficial properties for healing but come at the expense of immediate athletic performance.

Strength training and other focused efforts increase the stress levels in your body, which lead to long-term gains but also create short term hindrances in recovery.

Inflammation is a natural bodily response to training and is part of getting stronger. You may have heard that building muscle involves creating micro-tears in muscle fiber that then repair and create gains. This means that hard workouts are quite literally damaging even though they are ultimately beneficial.

Research suggests CBD possesses powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Many athletes are advocates for CBD when it comes to reducing inflammation for faster recovery. While hemp extract is relatively new to the market, there are over two decades of research that link Cannabidiol to reduced inflammation.

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2.) Cannabidiol is Linked to Pain Relief

While pain is often a natural sign that your body is injured and needs time to recover and avoid further painful damage, some types of pain and soreness are simply the result of fatigue and can be alleviated by recovery-enhancing techniques like massage, foam rolling, anti-inflammatory medicine, and hemp extracts. All of these solutions work by encouraging your body’s natural recovery processes to happen faster.

3.) CBD Shows Promise as a Natural Sleep Aid

What you do outside of the gym is equally important as what you do inside of the gym. In order to get stronger or faster, your body needs time to recover.

One of the primary ways the body recovers is through the many processes that only occur while we are sleeping.

While some people find it counterintuitive, many athletes have a hard time falling and staying asleep. Pushing the body to its limits leads to various types of anxiety and can cause you to feel “on edge” even when you are physically exhausted. And sometimes even muscle soreness can become distracting and make sleeping difficult.

There are many strong links between sufficient rest and improved athletic performance.

A growing body of evidence indicates that Cannabidiol may help us rest at night. CBD is non-habit forming and does not create the same type of groggy “sleep hangover” as many other sleep aids like melatonin and Tylenol PM. Hemp extract does not create the same type of dependence as more forceful sleep aids, because it helps your body achieve a tranquil homeostasis rather than interacting with your ‘biological clock.’

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recently removed CBD from its list of controlled substances, which means hemp extract is a natural and sanctioning body-approved option for those seeking an edge in relaxing and sleeping better at night.

4.) Cannabidiol May Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

When our blood sugar is in balance, our bodies do not produce as many fat-storing hormones, thereby improving our ability to burn fat for energy. While monitoring your blood sugars alone will not lead to significant weight loss, when combined with a healthy diet and rigorous strength training program, you increase your resting state metabolism and signal to your body that it is time to store and burn energy differently.

CBD may help you achieve homeostasis in part through regulating blood sugar levels, among many other body boosting benefits.

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5.) CBD May Have Anti-Anxiety Properties

Even the most seasoned athletes often struggle with pre-race anxiety which hinders their sleep the night before an event or even robs them of their focus and performance edge during a race or competition.

Studies show hemp CBD may possess powerful anti-anxiety properties. Cannabidiol is also linked to increased mental focus, which means it addresses two of the most common anxiety-related issues that athletes face. Hemp extract is calming and enhances your ability to focus on what’s important.

How to Consume Hemp CBD for Strength Training

If you are interested in integrating CBD into your strength or training program, you’ll need to decide which hemp extract product is right for you. There are a wide variety of CBD products like edibles, topicals, oils, and more!